DOES BUS-BASED PARK AND RIDE ASSIST THE INTEGRATION OF LOCAL TRANSPORT?

At first sight, bus-based park and ride (PAR) does help the integration of local transport. However, a more searching question is whether PAR contributes significantly and in a cost-effective way to wider integration of local transport provision. This article argues that a more radical strategy will be needed before bus-based PAR makes a significant contribution to the development of a new approach to travel between urban areas and their rural surroundings. Most current PAR practice is not reducing car dependence and may even help to increase it. The article first presents some statistical evidence about PAR operations obtained from studies of specific schemes, including their impact on traffic and evidence about user behaviour. Reductions in car use by PAR are relatively small, and sometimes do not occur, but some increase in rural car traffic could be tolerated, if urban areas benefited enough. The article then discusses some lessons for planning integrated transport. Six out of a group of eight PAR schemes were found to require subsidies to cover their operating and/or site provision costs. Other lessons were learned about differences in attitudes to public transport and about short-range walking and car trips. Finally, PAR is discussed in relation to an emerging integrated transport strategy.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/14708361
• Corporate Authors:

  BRITISH PARKING ASSOCIATION

  7 HILLSIDE
  PORTBURY, BRISTOL,   United Kingdom  BS20 9UD
• Authors:
  • PARKHURST, G P
• Publication Date: 1999-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 24-7
• Serial:
  • PARKING NEWS
  • Issue Number: 174
  • Publisher: BRITISH PARKING ASSOCIATION
  • ISSN: 1470-8361

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Automobiles; Buses; Costs; Economic efficiency; Financing; Improvements; Modal split; Park and ride; Parking; Policy; Public transit; Urban areas; Walking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 2267: Attitude (psychol); 1272: Bus; 1243: Car; 224: Cost; 5911: Efficiency; 244: Financing; 9108: Improvement; 675: Modal split; 958: Park and ride; 955: Parking; 173: Policy; 744: Public transport; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area; 758: Walking
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Policy; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00767144
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Aug 6 1999 12:00AM